I hope we get some input. This is interesting. Public outcry and regulation for greater disclosure from hedge funds, If your fighting a losing battle why not get paid for the information and do an IPO?

Hedge funds can then stand up and say we are a public company what more do you want to know? Fortress may not need the money but they need a way to look legit in the eyes of whiners with public disclosure.

No more snide remarks about politicians investing in hedge funds while trumpeting for the poor. Attention Wall Mart shoppers you too can be hedge fund owner.

I think this may be the wave of the future, catch Congress off balance.

Now is this a buy or not? I'm going to focus on the negative, I want to read exclusivly the naysayers the negative media. I want fear!!

Of course, GS could sand bag. BECAUSE the real issue will be getting paid for righteous public disclosure. I love it.

There was a follow up news article re; roadshow next several weeks.
I like the price.

Question. Is this enough shares?

WASHINGTON, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Fortress Investment Group LLC on Friday set its planned initial public offering at 34.3 million Class A shares for an estimated price of $16.50 to $18.50 each.

Fortress, which manages about $29.7 billion in assets, said in an amended filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that Goldman, Sachs & Co., Banc of America Securities LLC, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank Securities and Lehman Brothers were underwriting the IPO.

The underwriters will have the option to buy an additional 5.1 million Class A shares to cover overallotments

These guys are smart to sell their management companies to the public -- they are basically turning what amounts into a few year enterprise into a perpetuity stream. The public will value these things like any other company and the founders will end up tacking a terminal value onto a firm valuation that otherwise would have just shut down when they retired. Smart for the managers, much riskier for the investor.